拍品專文
Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843) was the most celebrated bronzier-ciseleur of the Empire period. Born into a family of ciseleurs, he worked initially for the sculpteurs Pajou and Houdon and as 'Thomire sculpteur' was awarded a medal by the Academy in 1772. He later moved away from the manufacture of large scale sculptural bronzes to concentrate on gilt bronzes, a field in which he rapidly gained pre-eminence. He worked initially for the celebrated bronzier, Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813) and Jean-Louis Prieur (d. circa 1785-1790), ciseleur-doreur du roi, and collaborated with Prieur on a lavishly mounted carriage for Louis XVI in 1776.
In 1804, Thomire purchased the business of Martin-Éloy Lignereux, marchand de dorure et meubles at 41, rue Taitbout, which enabled him to expand his atelier dramatically. He thus emerged from the period of revolutionary tumult with the foremost atelier in Paris (employing as many as 800 people) and adapted well to the new severely classical style of the Empire period as influenced by the designers Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine in their Récueil de Décoration Interieurs (1812). The firm of Thomire, Duterme et Cie produced a comprehensive range of high quality gilt bronze objects, including surtouts de table, candelabra, vases, clocks and cheminées. The firm won a gold medal at the Exposition of 1806 and their clients included the king of Rome and George, Prince of Wales (later George IV). Thomire was also made Ciseleur de L'Empereur, leading to a number of prestigious commissions including the toilette supplied in 1810 to Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon I, for which Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot (1763-1850) provided the designs.
Thomire also collaborated with the foremost ébènistes of the day, including Adam Weisweiler (1744-1820) with whom he supplied a number of pieces to Caroline Murat (now in the Palazzo Reale, Naples), and the firm of Jacob-Desmalter, principal ébènistes to the Imperial garde meuble. Thomire retired form the business in 1823 and was made a chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by Louis-Philippe in 1834. The firm continued to use his name until after 1850.
The military trophies forming the sides of this magnificent surtout de table by Thomire reflect the fully developed Empire style, with its many references to Napoleon's military prowess. These trophies relate closely to ones designed by Percier and Fontaine for the interior of the château de Malmaison published in Récueil de Décorations Intérieurs (1812), pl. 55. Another surtout de table by Thomire with similar trophies is illustrated in J. Niclausse, Thomire, 1947, figs. 21 & 22.
The later base created for the surtout-de-table (en suite with lot 149 in the sale), with acanthus-wrapped Herculean monopodia based on antique Roman prototypes, is modelled on a design for a table executed for le Comte de P., illustrated in Percier and Fontaine op. cit., plate 40.
In 1804, Thomire purchased the business of Martin-Éloy Lignereux, marchand de dorure et meubles at 41, rue Taitbout, which enabled him to expand his atelier dramatically. He thus emerged from the period of revolutionary tumult with the foremost atelier in Paris (employing as many as 800 people) and adapted well to the new severely classical style of the Empire period as influenced by the designers Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine in their Récueil de Décoration Interieurs (1812). The firm of Thomire, Duterme et Cie produced a comprehensive range of high quality gilt bronze objects, including surtouts de table, candelabra, vases, clocks and cheminées. The firm won a gold medal at the Exposition of 1806 and their clients included the king of Rome and George, Prince of Wales (later George IV). Thomire was also made Ciseleur de L'Empereur, leading to a number of prestigious commissions including the toilette supplied in 1810 to Marie-Louise, the second wife of Napoleon I, for which Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot (1763-1850) provided the designs.
Thomire also collaborated with the foremost ébènistes of the day, including Adam Weisweiler (1744-1820) with whom he supplied a number of pieces to Caroline Murat (now in the Palazzo Reale, Naples), and the firm of Jacob-Desmalter, principal ébènistes to the Imperial garde meuble. Thomire retired form the business in 1823 and was made a chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by Louis-Philippe in 1834. The firm continued to use his name until after 1850.
The military trophies forming the sides of this magnificent surtout de table by Thomire reflect the fully developed Empire style, with its many references to Napoleon's military prowess. These trophies relate closely to ones designed by Percier and Fontaine for the interior of the château de Malmaison published in Récueil de Décorations Intérieurs (1812), pl. 55. Another surtout de table by Thomire with similar trophies is illustrated in J. Niclausse, Thomire, 1947, figs. 21 & 22.
The later base created for the surtout-de-table (en suite with lot 149 in the sale), with acanthus-wrapped Herculean monopodia based on antique Roman prototypes, is modelled on a design for a table executed for le Comte de P., illustrated in Percier and Fontaine op. cit., plate 40.